The Stars Are Not Enough
by WOOZER1720
Summary: Ten years have passed since the crystal shards incident. Ribbon returns one night to stay with Kirby for good. Peace of course, never stays. Strange pools of energy are forming around Dreamland and Kirby with the help of others are sent to investigate.
1. A Memorable Encounter

**Disclaimer: Hello! This is my first fanfic, and well I hope it'll turn out well! Please review and I will be happy to take criticisms. Hope y'all enjoy! I do not own Kirby and all that associates with him. Kirby belongs to Nintendo and HAL.**

**Chapter 1**

_**A Memorable Encounter**_

A light breeze coupled with the warm, setting sun washing over Dreamland. A pink fellow propped up against a tree, watching the setting sun.

Kirby, over the recent years had grown taller and of course, rounder. He had become more mature over the years as well.

As Kirby relaxed, he began to think of his years as a star warrior.

As he gazed at the red sun, he remembered one in particular, his struggle against a being known as Dark Matter. Not only was this enemy one of the biggest threats in the galaxy, but it never seemed to go completely down. Kirby had destroyed Dark Matter and it's source, Zero, three times and it was obvious that this dark being was still not erased.

Kirby sighed and glanced towards the flock of Bronto Burts flying across Mustard Mountain in the distance. Ten years ago, Dark Matter had taken over a near by planet known as Ripple Star and consumed the planet in darkness. A Fairy named Ribbon, was tasked to take the artifact known as the Power Crystal, and get it as far away from Dark Matter as possible.

Unfortunately, three of Dark Matter's orbs took chase and damaged the crystal enough to shatter the large crystal into shards, scattering them through out the planets in range.

That was when Kirby first met her, bouncing on his head and falling close to Kirby. Kirby smiled as he remembered their adventures and her kiss when the ordeal was over.

Of course it was just a kiss on the cheek, but it was something he treasured in his heart and would never leave.

But as time went by, Ribbon and the others had to go their separate ways. Ribbon returned to Ripple Star, Adeleine wandered across Pop Star for her art, and King DeeDeeDee recruited Waddle Dee for his castle. Kirby was heartbroken as this was the last time he saw Ribbon, Adeleine, and Waddle Dee. He never wanted them to part.

As the sun finally lowered out of view, Kirby decided to sleep outside. "Maybe it was for the best," He muttered before closing his eyes.

The morning started out with a splash. In his sleep, Kirby had rolled down a hill and near a lake. Unexpectedly, he was awoken with a jet of water. Kirby shook himself, squinting, and searched for the perpetrator.

One of his friends, Kine the sunfish, swam up to him. "Hey Kirby!" Kine exclaimed.

Kirby wiped his face with his hand. "You didn't have to do that, you know," he responded.

"Sorry, buddy, but I had to get you awake somehow! Here, I got something for you." Kine opened his mouth and out popped a box, supposedly filled with berries and nuts.

"Let me guess, from Rick?" Kirby guessed, laughing.

The fish smiled a toothless grin. "Also from Rick, look at the sky tonight. There are gonna be a few shooting stars!"

Kirby pondered about this. He could use a little view tonight. After all, he was going to work quite a bit today.

"Alright, I'll have look later," he said finally. Kine swam away while saying something, but all that Kirby heard was his stomach rumbling. "Kirby!" Fumu called. Kirby hastily inhaled the nuts and berries, and hurried off.

Kirby helped out Fumu with organizing some books, Gus with some car parts, the Mayor with his sheep, and Kawasaki with the food no one wanted to eat. As he walked out of the restaurant, Fumu ran up and surprised Kirby with a hug from behind.

"Hey Kirby! Thanks for the help today!" she whispered behind him. He felt her breasts push against him.

"Uh, hey, no problem," Kirby replied cautiously. Kirby and Fumu have been friend since he first arrived, yet felt no romantic interests with each other.

She let go and smiled. "Where are you off to now?"

This was awkward for Kirby, as he felt like she was a great friend, but only a friend at that. Fortunately, Rick popped up and intervened.

"Hey Kirby! Ya goin' for the girls now huh? Careful, this one bites!" Rick smirked.

Fumu laughed, but Kirby shoot a suspicious glace at Rick.

"That's right! I needed to go talk to Rick. Sorry Fumu, but I gotta go now," Kirby improvised quickly.

Before Fumu could respond, Kirby sped off, dragging Rick with him. He got to the little bridge and plopped Rick down.

"Oi! What was that about?" Rick asked, clearly annoyed.

"Sorry, I just needed to get out of that situation." said Kirby, out of breath. He had never run that fast.

"What? Haven't you guys even have a dinnie? Or a... pash?" Rick questioned, astonished.

" A...A what?" questioned Kirby, puzzled.

"It's Aussie for a dinner or... how do you say it... kissing passionately?" Inquired Rick.

"What? Well... never. I could have, but shes not someone like that. I know she's attracted to me, but it's in a playful manner. We were never in a relationship," said Kirby, with surprise.

He suddenly felt empty. Was it a mistake? Maybe he should have dated Fumu... but something inside him said no... and he still didn't have a damn clue what it is. Rick noticed Kirby's expression, and quickly changed the subject.

"Listen mate, just forget about her. You've worked today and now its time to rest. Say, I almost forgot! Lets go see the stars! Its almost time!" Rick exclaimed.

Kirby smiled. "Alright, lets go!" He felt this would maybe help settle his mood.

They rushed to the top of Kirby's dome shaped house, and sighted the first few stars that fell. The shower intensified, soon filling the night sky with bright streaks.

"I wonder where they end up?" said Rick softly, mesmerized at the view.

Kirby stared at the night sky as memories flew into his head.

"This reminds me of that night..." Kirby to himself.

Soon however, the shower slowed and ended.

"Blimey..." Rick spoke with awe. "That was incredible!"

Kirby nodded. It was a fantastic end to the day. As Kirby was about to hop off his house, Rick suddenly shouted.

"Hey! Kirby! Look at that! Up there!" Shouted Rick with confusion in his voice.

Kirby saw a strangely slow star glide through the night sky. But this one had a purple-blue glow to it.

Kirby squinted in wonder. That sight, it seemed so... familiar...

Both Rick and Kirby continued to stare at the sky, minutes after the "star" passed. They were too confused to speak.

Suddenly, Kirby felt a flutter, sort of like a bird flying down from a high branch, but softer. Before Kirby could even think of what that could have been, an incredibly familiar voice spoke from behind.

"Hello Kirby. It's been a while."

**...And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed Chapter 1, cause there's more to come! Please review and thanks!**

**Next up. Chapter 2: A Warrior's Call**


	2. A Warrior's Call

**Disclaimer: Hello again! Well here you are. Go on. Read! I do not own Kirby and all that associates with Kirby. Kirby belongs to Nintendo and HAL.**

_**Chapter 2: A Warrior's Call**_

A gentle, night breeze blew across the hill as Kirby and Rick turned to face the voice. Kirby couldn't believe his eyes.

There stood a fairy, with dark blue eyes and rosy cheeks. She wore a crimson dress with golden buttons and a white collar. But Kirby immediately knew who she was as soon as he saw the large red ribbon in her silky, shoulder length pink hair.

Rick stood there, mouth agape. He was too stunned to see this beautiful, well dressed lady in front of him to even blink. "I've grown Kirby, and I see you have too." Spoke the fairy.

Kirby responded with a sudden embrace. "Ribbon..." Choked Kirby with eyes full of tears.

Ribbon and Kirby shed tears and held each other under the light of the moon while Rick quietly excused himself back to his home in the Wispy Woods.

They released each other and leaned together against the tree next to his house, gazing into each other eyes.

Both Kirby and Ribbon had grown over the last 10 years, but they were actually around the same size, with Ribbon being slightly shorter. Her feminine traits have also shown growth as well, making her look extremely attractive.

Kirby pulled her closer. "How did you find me?"

Ribbon looked down. "Before we all parted, you wrote your number down for me. I've been trying to contact you for awhile, but it never seemed to reach you so I... gave up on trying to contact you." This was obviously hard for her to speak of, as her eyes watered slightly. "But one day, I dug up an old signal. It could have been anything, but I trusted myself and flew over here."

Kirby was moved that she sought after an unknown signal in hopes of finding him. "Ribbon, I can't believe that you did this... weren't you afraid to get lost?"

Instead of responding, Ribbon locked lips with him and shared a long, passionate kiss. Kirby returned the kiss while stroking her gorgeous pink hair. Emotions flared and sparked between them as their kissing continued for quite sometime until they parted slowly with a sigh.

"How could I be afraid when you've showed me saving the galaxy isn't enough?"

The moment Ribbon spoke those words, something darted from the branches above to the woods at a speed impossible to identify. Kirby jumped up, but the unknown being was quickly out of sight. Kirby then immediately ran into his house and grabbed a Weelie statue. He suddenly wore a red baseball cap backwards and transformed to wheel Kirby. He ran outside to see a worried Ribbon.

"Whats wrong?" Asked Ribbon. Kirby quickly glanced around the area and turned to Ribbon.

"Go in the house and stay there. I'll be right back." He gave a quick kiss on the cheek and sped down the hill around his home.

After about 2 minutes of searching the area, Kirby was satisfied that no one was around. He sped back to his home and opened the door to be greeted by a hug.

"Kirby! What happened?" Said Ribbon with worry in her eyes.

"Someone was above us, and I know he wasn't there to have a peek at our kissing." Said Kirby.

Ribbon sat down, but she still looked worried.

"Ribbon, you know you don't have to worry. I've handled worse situations." Said Kirby with care as he touched the side of her face. "We _both_ have."

Ribbon smiled and nodded. Kirby led her to the bed and laid her down. "Get some rest, you've come a long way." Smiled Kirby.

"But where will you sleep?" asked Ribbon.

Kirby chuckled. "The floor doesn't look so bad does it?"

Ribbon flew to Kirby, grabbed him, and tossed him on the bed. She laid beside him. "Tell me Kirby, have you ever slept with a girl?" Winked Ribbon.

The expression on Kirby's face was priceless.

The next morning, Ribbon awoke to find herself alone in the bed. She glanced around, but Kirby was no where in sight. "Huh? Where could he be?" Wondered Ribbon.

She was about to hover to search the house, but she spotted a tray with a stack of pancakes with fruit neatly arranged into various shapes. She spotted a letter and read it: _Dear Ribbon, sorry about leaving you but I'm down at the bridge to practice my abilities. It's just down the hill. _

_Love, Kirby._

_P.S, Welcome to back!_

"Oh Kirby." Smiled Ribbon.

Down at the bridge, Kirby wore a red head band and launched a fury of attacks against wooden targets.

"Smash Punch!" Shouted Kirby numerous times. 5 Targets split in half from the powerful energy orbs thrown from Kirby.

"Spin Kick!" Kirby shattered 3 targets in a row with a running spin.

Ribbon flew in a hurry to watch Kirby's training and she came just in time to see Kirby do his most powerful fighter technique.

Kirby ran at an incredible speed toward a tree, one fist near the ground charging up a red-blue colored energy.

"RISING BREAK!" Screamed Kirby. Kirby hit a tree with such force that when the tree split in half, it uprooted itself from the ground. The halves of the tree had a blue glow and this blue energy was eating away at the wood at a rapid rate.

Ribbon stared in awe, she never knew Kirby could have mastered such a move.

Kirby slowly stood up, and had a face that looked like it could make the devil flinch.

"Kirby that was amazing!" Shouted Ribbon. Kirby had a grin on his face when he heard her.

"You think? I got it just right that time." Said Kirby. "But it's usually not that concentrated."

Kirby shook himself and led Ribbon to the bridge. Ribbon held his hands and looked down.

"Kirby, I didn't come all this way to just see you." Ribbon spoke softly as she looked up. Kirby's blank expression never changed. "I... I wanted to tell you that I'm-

"Staying with me?" Kirby suddenly said. "Forever?"

Ribbon gasped as he lifted and carried her to the top of the railing of the bridge. "And to express my response to that statement, I make sure we'll be together- _**in a wonderful place**_." Kirby smiled. His voice turned deep and sinister.

"K-K-Kirby, W-What are you Doing?" Stammered Ribbon. Kirby closed his eyes. "I promise" Said Kirby.

Kirby dropped her into the flow of water below. Ribbon screamed as she hit the water below.

The flow rapidly pushed her downstream, letting almost no time for her to breath. She gasped and tried to swim, but fairies weren't used to water and could not swim well. She couldn't fly due to her wings being soaked and she was fading in and out of consciousness.

The last thing she saw before blacking out was a flash of pink.

Ribbon awoke under a tree in the Whispy Woods. She saw Kirby staring at the sun, his back to her. She was filled with anger and confusion. Why did Kirby almost kill her?

She was so flustered she tried to throw a punch, but suddenly she froze.

"What? W-Why cant I move?" Ribbon stammered out.

"_**It's not that you cannot, the truth is that you are free to move. Yet you believe you cannot.**_**" **

A voice like a knife against a chalkboard spoke from the sky, or what was once a sky. Strange darkness began to spread against the sky, blocking out light. The plants and trees around her started to melt, and the voice spoke out once more.

"_**Is what you see truly what you believe? It is foolish to judge a book by it's cover- or a dream with reality."**_

Ribbon's head felt as if it was being drilled out. She collapsed. The voice seemed to twist her sanity, as she was crying, laughing, and rolling on the ground. She reached for Kirby, but all she grabbed was some black substance that started to crawl up her hand and cover her body. Ribbon tried to scream, but she coughed up blood instead.

Kirby turned around and instead of that familiar face, a single blood shot eye stared at Ribbon.

"_**It's sad... so... sad..."**_

Ribbon managed to let a blood choked scream before swirling into darkness.

"KIRBY!"

Ribbon woke up screaming in bed. Kirby and others she did not recognise were around her with shocked expressions on there faces. Kirby was sweating, and was holding a syringe half filled with what looked like liquefied Maxim Tomato.

Ribbon immediately embraced Kirby, her face soaked with sweat and tears. Kirby stroked her head while trying to comfort her.

"It's okay Ribbon. It's okay..." Kirby whispered.

After holding each other for what seemed like forever, Ribbon shifted back a little, but didn't let go.

"Kirby, promise me you'll never leave me!" Said Ribbon. Kirby looked at her seriously and said nothing.

"Promise me!" Blurted Ribbon. She began to cry again.

"Ribbon." Ribbon stopped crying and stared in disbelief at what she heard next. "I can't" Before she could do anything, he took her in his arms once more. "Because I would die for you Ribbon. Because saving the universe isn't enough."

Ribbon and Kirby held each other even closer. The others in the house sat down until they finally let go of each other.

Rick came over holding a tray of tea, biscuits, and cream over to the bed. "Here ya go missy" Rick handed her a cup of tea."Ya sure bust a gut over there. That was a damn nasty sight if I've ever seen one!"

"Thank you, um..." Kirby realised she hadn't been properly introduced to everyone.

"Rick ma'am." Rick bowed. "Pleasure to meet ya!"

"Ricks been my best friend for as long as I remember." Said Kirby. "I would trust him with my life."

Rick grinned until his face looked like it would split in two.

Kirby brought over Bun and Fumu. "This is Bun and Fumu. They helped me get used to Dreamland and get around town." Explained Kirby. "We also got into some adventures as well."

Bun looked fairly nervous as he stuck his hand out. "H-Hello!" Stammered Bun. Ribbon smiled and shook his hand.

Fumu shook her hand as well, but Kirby saw something in her eyes seemed like she wanted to slap Ribbon. Ribbon apparently noticed this as well, as she looked nervously at Fumu after shaking her hand.

"Kirby told me so much about you. It's great to meet you." said Fumu with no emotion. It almost sounded like she said it through her teeth.

Ribbon sat up and finished her tea. "What happened?" Kirby sat down next to her.

"Well, after you were about to tell me that your gonna well... stay with me for good," Kirby felt Fumu's eyes pierce the back of his head. "Of course I knew the answer, so I finished it for you and suddenly you fell off the bridge and into the water."

Ribbon just noticed that she was wearing a pajama. Kirby shifted around the house momentarily and continued.

"I managed to swim up to you and get you to land. After that you started to look like you had a seizure..." Kirby looked out a window. "Thank god Rick spotted me. He helped find the quickest way back and find a Maxim Tomato."

Rick nodded with a serious look on his face.

Kirby turned to face Ribbon with tears in his eyes. "I gave you 20CC of Maxim serum every hour. You were out for a good 4 hours."

Ribbon shuddered. So Kirby dropping her and the event in the woods was a dream? She relaxed, but something wasn't right.

Kirby sat next to Ribbon again. Most of the tension had gone down and everyone brought themselves together.

Rick checked the clocked. "Well, I think it's time to hit the sack. Bun! Fumu! Lets get a bloody move on."

Bun got up and followed Rick. "Cya Kirby! Cya Ribbon!" Fumu stared at Kirby for a moment, then left without saying goodbye. Kirby sighed. Now _that _was awkward.

When everyone was gone, it was deathly quiet. The wind wasn't blowing, the crickets weren't chirping, nothing. It felt strange and comforting. Ribbon lay in bed while Kirby locked the door and spoke.

"Hold on, I need to check the basement." He pulled a latch under the table and stepped down the stairs. He came up about a minute later.

"Whats wrong?" Ribbon asked.

"Nothing." Said Kirby. "Just checking some stuff."

Kirby shut the latch and got in bed with her. Ribbon hugged him as he reached for the lights.

"Ribbon, you never have to worry." Assured Kirby. "As long as you believe, you'll never fail."

Ribbon suddenly remembered the dream and tried to tell Kirby, but Kirby was exhausted and fell immediately to sleep.

"_Oh well,_" Thought Ribbon. "_I'll tell him next time._"

She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"_**Yes dear."**_ A voice spoke outside. _**"Tell him next time, next time when it is too late." **_

Next morning Ribbon awoke at the sound of Kirby's distinctive ringtone. The sun had not risen yet, as the sky was a deep blue of dawn. Annoyed, Kirby grabbed his phone and answered.

"Aw shit, hello?" Answered a groggy Kirby.

"Kirby." It was Sir Meta Knight, Kirby's mentor and the heart of the Galaxy Soldier Army.

Kirby snapped out of tiredness. "Meta Knight!" Meta Knight usually doesn't call unless for training- or an emergency. "What is it?"

"Over the past few days, there's been strange pools of energy forming all over Dreamland. We must investigate immediately." Said Meta Knight.

"Do you know whats causing them?" Asked Kirby.

"I'm afraid I do not know much about this. But I do know there has been some strange occurrences since these pools have been forming." Answered Meta Knight.

"Like what?" Asked Kirby.

"Kirby we don't have time for this! Get to the heart of Whispy Woods now! I'll meet you there." Spoke Meta Knight.

"Okay. I'll be there." Kirby hung up.

"What's going on?" Asked Ribbon. But she knew it wasn't anything good.

"I have to get to Wispy Woods right now." Kirby grabbed a backpack and stuffed a single use statue of Biospark in it.

"I'm coming with you Kirby! We're doing this together!" Announced Ribbon.

Kirby walked over to her and held her hand. "You said you were gonna stay forever Ribbon and I don't want to see that change." He kissed her. "But I guess danger brings us closer huh?"

Kirby walked out the door and came back with Ribbon's clothes.

"I washed and dried it." Said Kirby grinning. He gave it to her. "Get changed, we have to hurry."

Ribbon nodded and quickly changed. Both of them ran to the Warp Star parked outside. A light breeze had picked up as Kirby momentarily stared at the now rising sun.

"_Will the galaxy ever have peace?_" Kirby thought.

After that, Kirby took off with Ribbon close to him as the morning sun rose from the horizon to answer a warrior's call.

**Woo! That was a long one! I think I crammed too much into one chapter, but I'll see how this goes.**

**Next Up. **_**Chapter 3:**__**Dark Revelations**_


	3. Dark Revelations

**Disclaimer: ~Itsudemo Guusukapii, Hoshi no Kaabii!~... I do not own Kirby and all that associates with Kirby.**

_**Chapter 3: Dark Revelations**_

As the morning sun chases the darkness out of sight, a lone figure stands alone in the heart of Whispy Woods. This figure is none other then Meta Knight, a mysterious Galaxy Army soldier.

Meta Knight's deep amber eyes shone behind his mask. He waited patiently for the others to arrive.

A butterfly landed on his mask. Meta Knight guided his hand to his mask and the butterfly crawled to his hand.

"Such an elegant creature..." Muttered Meta Knight. The insect fluttered it's wing as if to agree.

"The world is a big place for you. Of course it is big for all of us. But I ask, is it any different?" Meta Knight asked.

The winged insect flew around Meta Knight and danced around his face. Meta Knight laughed.

"I guess it isn't quite different after all." said Meta Knight.

The butterfly did one last flutter and flew away.

Meta Knight closed his eyes and recollected his thoughts. His eyes glowed green in concentration.

"Sir Meta Knight!"

Meta Knight opened his eyes to spot two of his followers, Sword and Blade Knight, running towards him.

"We... got your... call." Said Sword, quite out of breath.

"Is it true sir?" Asked Blade. "Could it really be-"

There was a huge gust of air as the Warp Star flew past. Meta knight stood, seemingly unaffected by the wind as Sword and Blade ducked for cover.

"Shit!" Yelled Blade.

"So our warrior arrives." Spoke Meta Knight as the star landed. Kirby hopped out with Ribbon hovering above him. Sword and Blade gathered themselves as the couple approached.

"Meta Knight, I came as quickly as I could." Said Kirby. Meta Knight nodded and turned to Ribbon.

"Miss Ribbon I presume?" Meta Knight questioned. Ribbon had never seen Meta Knight

until now. "Kirby has told me about you quite well."

"Oh hello Sir..." Blushed Ribbon. Ribbon was surprised at how similar this masked knight was to Kirby in terms of appearance.

"Meta Knight." Finished Kirby. "He's a Galaxy Army Soldier and my mentor. He helped me find my potential in my abilites and as a star warrior."

Ribbon swore Meta Knight's eyes glowed blue after he finished that sentence.

Kirby introduced Sword and Blade as well. They both kneeled in front of Ribbon much to her surprise. She giggled as they greeted her.

Meta Knight walked up. "Listen up. We are all aware about the energy pools collecting all over Dreamland." Announced Meta Knight. "But I have recently found out that these are not normal energy flows."

Kirby spoke up. "Meta Knight, do you have any idea what this energy is?"

"It is a very negative energy, something that has obviously been building up." Said Meta Knight. "Follow me!"

Meta Knight opened his cape and turned them into bat-like wings. He took air and flew off slowly.

Kirby, Ribbon, Sword and Blade all followed at ground level. After a few minutes of running, they stopped at what looked like a small pit, about two feet in diameter.

Kirby took a closer look, and froze. Ribbon did the same, and gasped.

"Holy shit." Kirby whispered.

This pit was sprawling with a dark, cloud-like substance. Little black orbs crawled around the pit like ants defending their hill. Meta knight landed and spoke.

"I'm afraid that this is the same energy that infested Dreamland and Popstar itself several times in the past." Meta Knight grimaced. "This energy is known as Dark Matter."

Ribbon's shocked face was noticed by Meta Knight.

"I am aware that you and Kirby apparently destroyed Dark Matter and It's source, Zero?" Said Meta Knight.

Ribbon whimpered and shivered when she heard that name. Kirby looked incredibly uneasy too. Zero was the initial cause of Dark Matter and so to say, the spawn of darkness itself. Kirby faced Zero not once, but twice in an incredibly bloody battle. Kirby nearly died both times, but the second time he also put Ribbon in danger as she was carrying him throughout the battle. He was a white orb with a single red eye, but in his returned form, he was an absolute nightmare. He had two, blood soaked wings that branched out into segments and a bandage on his head due to the previous encounter. He also had a halo, and a cactus like tail that shot out some sort of gas. Looking at him caused Kirby to go almost insane if it had not been for the crystal gun the Ribbon had formed.

Kirby thought he was gone for good, but he thought he got rid of Dark Matter three times before and it's here again. And to top it all off, Ribbon is unaware that Kirby had "defeated" Zero and Dark Matter previously. This caused Kirby to sweat almost into panic. Did Zero survive?

"Yes... but how could this be? He had been killed, I know it!" Ribbon shouted.

Meta Knight stared at Kirby. "Did Kirby tell you he had destroyed Zero already? Along with Dark Matter three times?"

Ribbon was dumbfounded. "W-What? Three times?"

Kirby looked down. "It's true. Dark Matter had tried to take control of Pop Star many times before you and I meet."

Ribbon's eyes were the size of golf balls. "Does that mean Zero's still... alive?" Kirby didn't know how to answer.

Blade stepped forward. "We're not certain if he is gone or returned. For now, we should deal with the present. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

Ribbon calmed down, but didn't look so good.

"We must find a way to contain this problem." Announced Meta Knight who pulled out a spherical object.

"What is that?" Asked Kirby.

"This is a stasis pod. It is meant for capturing animals and preserving them, but it can be used for holding just about anything." Said Meta Knight.

He threw the pod up into the air as it expanded into a size big enough for covering to hole. As it locked in place, the movement of the Dark Matter inside stopped.

"But Meta Knight, didn't you say Dreamland itself has these pits forming?" Asked Ribbon. "It'll take forever!"

"Don't fret." Said Meta Knight "I sent out Knuckle Joe, Silica, and others out with the same task. This will take a day or two."

"However!" Said Sword. "This will only cause a momentary delay. Sooner or later, the darkness will spread. We will need to find a way to purge the darkness before it is too late!"

Kirby nodded. "Do you have a plan Meta Knight?"

"I will have the Halberd prepared for take off in 2 days. This will be a long journey, and we will need to stop by numerous planets along the way." Meta Knight glanced at Kirby. "We need all the help we can get, so try to get as much people to come along."

Kirby smiled. Knew just the people for this occasion. Only if he could find them.

"Ribbon, are you sure you want to come along?" Asked Meta Knight.

"Sir Meta Knight, I have never been more sure in my life." Ribbon replied as she hugged Kirby.

"_There bond is strong._" Meta Knight thought. "Very well, we shall all meet at the castle in-"

Suddenly, five Biosparks jumped down from the surrounding branches, poised for attack.

Meta Knight drew Galaxia, a sacred sword that only a true warrior can wield, and prepared to attack as well.

"I should have sensed them sneaking up to us!" Meta Knight's eyes glowed white.

Kirby touched his statue of Biospark and transformed into ninja Kirby as Ribbon drew close to him. He drew several kunais, but did not strike yet. Something was wrong about these Biosparks. They had a slight shadowy glow to them and their eyes were blood shot and yellow.

"Meta Knight! These ninjas are possesed by Dark Matter!" Yelled Kirby.

Sword and Blade drew their blades as well, but held their position.

"Sir Meta Knight, we'll strike first." Whispered Sword.

Meta Knight nodded. No one moved for what seemed like an eternity.

Then, the clash of blades broke the silence. Sword and Blade were shocked at how strong these ninjas have become. Their kunais held the swords back with equal force. The other three ninjas sprung forward to attack Meta Knight and Kirby. Meta Knight expertly dodged and slashed one with a lightning quick strike. The top half of the ninja slid off as Galaxia's powerful magic turned both halves into golden mist. Kirby threw 5 kunais, but all of them were successfully dodged by the two. Kirby drew a katana, slashed one, then hit one with the opposite side of the blade. The sound of breaking bones were heard as the other side of the carbon steel blade hit the ninja.

Kirby expected to hear a shout of pain, but the ninja simply shrugged it off and charged at Kirby.

"What the... that should have incapacitate him!" Said Kirby in amazement.

"Kirby watch out!" Shouted Ribbon.

Kirby's reflexes caused him to throw the sword, impaling the unslashed Biospark, and then throwing a kunai at the wounded one. This action happened in less then a second.

One of them was impaled against a tree, while the other one bled on the ground with his entrails partially exposed.

The others were finished by the time Kirby had been done. The Dark Matter possessing them escaped through the dead bodies, except the one Meta Knight had killed.

The one on the tree was still alive, coughing up blood through it's blood soaked cloth.

Meta Knight walked up to Kirby and sheathed Galaxia. Kirby noticed the ninja was taking out a scroll, which he held out to him. As Kirby reached for it however, the scroll had disappeared and the ninja started to melt away in layers. He was being eaten away slowly in order from skin to muscle to bone as he screamed in complete agony. This sight was so gruesome that even Meta Knight jumped.

"CHRIST!" Kirby shouted as Ribbon screamed.

A shadow suddenly cast near the quickly turned to see a figure holding the scroll with a cape flying behind him. He could not be identified due to the sun glaring down, but he had an outline that looked deadly similar to Meta Knight...

He turned back slightly as his eyes flashed yellow and phased away at an extreme speed.

Meta Knight glared at the spot where the mysterious being was once standing. No one said anything.

Ribbon flew up to the knight. "Um, Sir Meta Knight..."

Meta Knight turned with his eyes glowing deep red. Ribbon gasped as she flew back slightly. Even Sword and Blade gasped slightly. Kirby was surprised as well.

Meta Knight rarely ever got angry. Of course he does get frustrated and snaps, but his eyes only turns red when he is absolutely furious.

Meta Knight sighed and wrapped his cape around him. He turned to Ribbon. "If you are wondering who that was, your looking right at him."

Ribbon was puzzled. "But I don't..."

Meta Knight put up a hand. "You'll understand."

Meta Knight turned to Kirby, who was retrieving his blade stuck in the tree. "Kirby, meet up at the castle in 2 days. Remember, we need all the help we can get."

Meta Knight walked off. "Sword! Blade!"

Sword and Blade complied and walked alongside their master as the evening sun shone through the path.

Ribbon looked on. _"No wonder Kirby respects him." _Thought Ribbon.

Ribbon flew to Kirby and saw him in deep thought.

"Who do you think that was?" Questioned Ribbon.

Kirby looked up at the sky. "I know that I've seen him before, I just... have such a vague memory..."

Kirby sat up and gestured Ribbon to follow. Ribbon flew next to him as he removed his ninja hat and threw it out.

"Kirby, I have a question." Said Ribbon as they continued to walk to the Warp Star.

"What is it?" Replied Kirby casually.

"That girl Fumu... did something happen between you guys?" Asked Ribbon.

Kirby's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't expect that kind of question.

"Huh? No, nothing really happened between us. We're just friends." Answered Kirby.

Ribbon didn't look satisfied with that answer. "Did you guys ever go out?"

"Like I said Ribbon, we're just friends. I could have had a relationship, but I felt like that would have been too much." Said Kirby.

"Has Meta knight been through a lot?" Asked Ribbon. Kirby wasn't as quick to answer that question.

"I don't think a lot would be the best word to describe it." Kirby stared into space. "All the pen and paper in the world couldn't describe what he went through."

Ribbon looked at him with bright, blue eyes as they reached the Warp Star. Kirby noticed this and gazed back. The setting sun really got the mood going.

"That was some fighting back there Kirby." She whispered. He felt her hands on his back and her chest against his. "Do you mind if you... teach me how to fight like that?" She blushed.

Kirby smiled. "Of course." he lifted her and laid down together on the Warp Star. "Lesson number one."

The Warp Star shot across the sky as the two lovers kissed in the warmth of the setting sun. The Warp Star reached an altitude with a perfect view of the town and slowed down.

They parted slowly, still staring into each other. Kirby sat up right and looked forward, smiling.

"Lesson number two."

Ribbon sat next to him and viewed the amazing sight. The sun turned everything into an amber painting. The Bronto Burts nearby flew with their bronze wigs towards the golden clouds, that parted to reveal a Maya blue sky. Ribbon was mesmerized.

"Kirby..." She began, but Kirby put his finger on her lips.

"Lesson number three." He whispered. The Warp Star suddenly dropped from the sky in a roller coaster like fashion strait to their home. Ribbon's eyes grew wide, but Kirby winked at her telling her to trust him. As they neared the door of the house, it opened and the Warp Star did a sudden stop which launch them into bed. Kirby clapped his hands twice, then the Warp Star parked underground and the door closed.

Ribbon whipped a strand of hair back as she turned to Kirby. "Kirby that was amazing!"

"Which one? The drop, the view or the kiss?" He said grinning.

Ribbon laughed as they embraced and prepared to enter a night of passion.

"Hold on." Said Kirby "We need to get some rest for tomorrow. We're gonna be all over the place."

Ribbon cocked an eyebrow. "So?"

"So... how about we cut at 12 o clock?" Smirked Kirby

Ribbon smiled wickedly as she began to unbutton her dress.

The silver moon blanketed the night as Kirby was in bed with Ribbon, content and relaxed. He eyed the clock to find that it had already hit two 2:30 in the morning.

"Well well, looks like I went past by two hours." Kirby smiled as he shook his head. "Oh me..."

Ribbon sleep close, arms around him. He gazed over her, thinking to himself about what he's getting into.

"_How am I gonna fix something that's gonna keep coming back?_" Thought Kirby. "_I feel as if my life's starting over._"

He carefully got up and walked over to the window. The morning dew had already set, causing the moonlight to hit the droplets and creating a spectacular view.

"_It never stops."_ thought Kirby. _"The madness, the dieing, the darkness... it just revives itself whenever someone knocks it down." _

"_Goddammit!"_ Kirby covers his head as he sat at the table. _"What in the name of hell keeps me going?"_

He glanced over at the bed. Ribbon. The one he loves, the one he cares, the one that gives him... hope.

He crawls back into bed, stroking her face as he drifted to sleep.

"Hope huh?" He says to himself as sleep encased his thoughts. "I never thought would be so beautiful."

**What awaits Kirby later in the morning? Will he find the people he seeks? Who was that shadowy stranger? Why am I still typing like this? Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!**

**Next Up. **_**Chapter 4:**__**A Reflective Reunion**_**. **


	4. A Reflective Reunion

**Disclaimer: A quote from DeeDeeDee: *everything*-Zoi. That is all. I do not own Kirby and all that associates with Kirby.**

_**Chapter 4: A Reflective Reunion**_

As morning wakes Dreamland once more, Kirby helped himself to breakfast. For Kirby, that was basically slapping on everything he could on to a plate then inhaling it. When he stacked the food to the point of touching the ceiling of his house, he inhaled the whole package. Ribbon had gotten up earlier and was looking at his cellphone.

"Hey Kirby, why do you have colors in your contacts list?" Ribbon questioned.

"Those are my... clones." Kirby answered.

Ribbon looked at him with confusion. "Clones?"

Kirby sat down. "Well, a while ago there was a problem in the Mirror World that got Meta Knight's attention. Hate and darkness took over the Mirror World and since it's basically a parallel universe, it would happen to Dreamland as well. He rushed in to the entrance to save both the Mirror World and Dreamland."

Ribbon listened attentively as Kirby picked up the Cell Phone. "Let's go. I'll talk more on the way."

Ribbon nodded as they both stepped outside. Ribbon inhaled the fresh air and exhaled with a sigh. "It's beautiful out today!"

"_As Dark Matter slowly closes in on us."_ Thought Kirby. They began to walk towards town to see Bun running towards them.

"Hey Kirby!" Yelled Bun as he stopped in front of them.

"Hey Ribbon." Smiled Bun.

"Hey Bun, wheres Fumu?" asked Kirby.

"She's at the castle." Grimaced Bun. He appeared as if he tried to get her name out of his head.

"What's wrong?" Asked Ribbon, noticing the change in Bun's mood.

"Nothing wrong, its just that Fumu's been acting like a bitch to be these days." Kirby rarely hear Bun swear, so this must be serious. "Shes like a different person these days."

Kirby frowned. This must be jealousy acting on her. He didn't want to be in this kind of situation.

"Bun, I think Fumu just needs her time to think." Suggested Ribbon. "Try to leave her alone for awhile."

Bun shrugged and walked off. Kirby shook his head.

"How am I going to deal with this?"

"That Fumu is jealous of our relationship?" Guessed Ribbon.

Kirby stared at her in surprise. "Wow that was fast." Added Ribbon. "I guess it's best we just let her simmer down and understand."

Kirby's ring tone went off and broke the conversation. Kirby answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Kirby, this is Sword Knight. Come to Gus's gas station. There's someone that you should meet."

"Alright, I'll head right over." Kirby ended the call.

"Who was Sword taking about?" Ribbon asked.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing this individual is someone that could accompany us." Said Kirby. "Let's hurry!"

The both got into town and ran (in Ribbons case, flew) to the gas station. Where a Waddle Dee was working on King DeDeDe's car lying down underneath. Kirby glanced around to see no one around but him.

"Hello? Did someone want to see me?" Called out Kirby.

"So your still here in Dreamland huh?" The Waddle Dee answered much to Kirby's surprise. "I can't blame you for not noticing me."

The Waddle Dee slid out from under the car to reveal a much bigger Waddle Dee. Shorter then Kirby, though big compared to other Waddle Dee's. His most distinguishing feature was a leather jacket with a Warp Star on it. Kirby's mind raced like a bullet.

The Waddle Dee faced towards Ribbon. "Man, you look great Ribbon. Both of you guys do."

Ribbon looked hard at him and gasped. "Waddle!" She cried as she hugged him. Kirby Looked at his eyes. They were aged. Aged with experience.

"Where were you all this time?" Kirby asked as they parted.

Waddle Dee narrowed his eyes. "Remember how DeDeDe recruited me? Well, I thought it would be a chance to live a new life, to be something more then just a Waddle Dee..."

He turned around and threw a screwdriver at a bulletin board. It flew at a perfect line and stuck straight out. Kirby was impressed.

"Nice throw." Complemented Kirby with a smile.

Waddle smiled. Of course you can't see the mouth of a Waddle Dee, but you could tell by how his face and his eyes moved.

"I've had some practice with throwing knifes. Helps to know how to defend yourself." Said Waddle.

He pulled up a stool and sat down. "Anyways, that turned out to be the granddaddy of the shittiest jobs you could possibly have in Dreamland. But I had nowhere to go, so I agreed to stay here and work, with no pay."

Ribbon looked at him with sympathy, then looked at the castle in anger. "I can't believe DeDeDe could be so cruel!"

"It's typical of DeDeDe though." Said Kirby. "He never pays anyone, not even Escargon!"

Ribbon looked at Waddle, then at Kirby. Kirby got what she was thinking.

"Waddle, would you like to come with us to save Dreamland?" Offered Kirby.

Waddle looked confused, then Kirby told him the whole story. His eyes grew wide with concern.

"Dark Matter's back? Then that means..."

Ribbon told him they're not sure, and about what Meta Knight said about the journey.

"We'll have to go to Rick's next. I need to pick up something." Said Kirby.

Waddle stood up and had a determined look on his face. "If it means that I'm gonna be beside you guys again, count me in. But first," He dove under the car and messed with the works. "Here's a little present for his Majesty."

Kirby and Ribbon laughed as they ran towards the woods with their old friend. As they crossed a trail with a specific type of flowers, Kirby suddenly stopped, looked closely at the trail, then turned and walked on that trail.

"Kirby what are you doing?" Asked Ribbon. "Rick's this way!"

Kirby looked back. "We'll have to postpone our visit. I think I can find someone here."

Ribbon turned to Waddle as he shrugged and followed.

The trail was stunning. The multitude of flower seemed to explode in colors as the sunlight made the petals almost glow in light.

As Kirby walked on, he spotted several paint drops. He smiled to himself and walked on with Ribbon and Waddle behind him. After about ten minutes of walking, they bumped into a good sized hill off the trail. Kirby broke into a sprint, surprising the others as he went up the hill.

"Kirby wait up!" Gasped Waddle out of breath as he struggled to climb the hill.

When Kirby reached the top, there was a magnificent view of a meadow teeming with flowers. He looked around till he spotted someone that didn't look like she was from Dreamland.

A girl was painting the meadow on an easel as big as her with a multi colored blue paint brush. She wore a long-sleeve, bright green collared smock with a single yellow button near the top and a short gray skirt. She also wore dark blue knee-high socks and wore a bright red beret that covered most of her short, black hair. She was painting a beautiful picture of the meadow when she happened to turn around for more paint. Then, she saw him.

She dropped her brush and rubbed her eyes to see if Kirby was really there.

"Hey Adeleine." Smiled Kirby. Adeleine's emerald eyes started toshine.

She ran towards him and they embraced. Tears streamed down her face as she cuddled his soft body.

"Oh my god, Kirby! It's been so long!" She managed to say past her tears. She let go to have a better look at him. "And you've grown too!"

Kirby noticed how little Adeleine had grown height wise over the course of ten years. She grew taller, but Kirby was very close to her height now. Her face was just as young and bright as before, but she had an excellent body and great legs. Kirby knew she was not a child any more.

Adeleine spotted Ribbon and Waddle coming up the hill and ran to them as well. She hugged them both in her arms, which caused her to fall down. They all laughed as they rolled around the flowers.

"How did you find me?" Asked Adeleine. "It's not that you knew I was here."

"With you, I just need to find the most colorful area's around. But I didn't know you would be here in Dreamland." Answered Kirby.

Adeleine sat up. "Well, a week after the ceremony I decided to go back to Pop Star for my art. All these years I painted, but I felt like I should stop wandering."

She got up and did a wave with her brush. "So I decided to to stay here." She said smiling.

"In Dreamland?" Asked Waddle, apparently excited.

She nodded. "I'm thinking of getting a house near the bridge. That way it's between the woods and the town nearby."

Ribbon flew near Kirby and hugged him from behind. "We planned to live together in his house on the hill towards the bridge!" She said happily.

"You mean the dome shaped one near that tree?"Asked Adeleine. "That's great! You two look so... cute together." Kirby heard a bit of longing in her voice. Was she attracted to him?

The afternoon went by quickly as they lay in the field of flowers. Everything seemed to be in a trance as petals flew in the wind

"Hey Kirby, can you finish telling me of your color friends?" Said Ribbon.

"Colored friends?" Said Waddle suspiciously. "You didn't inhale that mushroom again did you?"

"No no, its a long story Waddle." Glared Kirby not wanting to remember that incident.

"...Mushrooms?" Said Adeleine.

"Alright, I'll tell all of you the damn story. Listen now or never hear it again." Said Kirby clearly annoyed.

All of them stared attentively at Kirby. Kirby sighed.

"Well, after Meta Knight flew into the Mirror World he was trapped by some sort of force. As this was happening, I was taking a walk and a mirror version of Meta Knight popped out and he slashed me and ran off. But instead of cutting me, three different colored copies of me appeared. Each of them though, had a different personality and voice. They all had cellphones too!"

Kirby laid back and looked up at the sky. "After the problem was solved, we all went separate ways. Red owns a beach resort, Yellow owns a restaurant, and Green got a career as a singer.

I haven't seen them in years. I mean I contact them, but I can never meet them."

They listened to every word. "Are you gonna call them to join us?" Ribbon asked.

Adeleine tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? Join what?"

Ribbon explained the situation. Adeleine turned pale.

"But I thought we..."

"Kirby thought he did 3 times." Said Ribbon. "But it's back"

Adeleine's knees collapsed. "What do we do?"

"We're leaving tomorrow on Meta Knight's ship." Said Kirby walking towards her "So I want to ask, will you join us to save Dreamland?"

Adeleine hesitated, but Kirby gently grabbed her hands with his and smiled. "We need someone with your quality and talent."

Adeleine blushed and looked down, but grinned as she looked up. "Okay! Count me in."

Waddle looked up at the sky, blood red from the setting sun.

"Hey guys, it's getting late." Said Waddle.

"Okay, we're all gonna meet up at the castle grounds tomorrow morning." Kirby turned to Adeleine and Waddle. "Do you guys have a place to sleep? Your welcome to the house."

"I'll bring her to the castle to stay for the night" Said Waddle. Adeleine nodded.

"Alright I guess were set. C'mon Ribbon lets go." Finished Kirby.

Suddenly, Meta Knight appeared in front of the gang. Everyone halted in surprise. His impassive mask gleamed in the light.

"Meta Knight?" Ribbon questioned "What are you doing here?"

Meta Knight stared at them with cold, yellow eyes. Kirby sensed something was wrong.

"Ribbon! Get Back!" Hissed a voice from behind her.

Another Meta Knight jumped over her and grew Galaxia. Ribbon stumbled back.

"What going on?" Shouted Ribbon.

"Two Meta Knights?" Gasped Adeleine.

"So, you finally came to our world." Said Meta Knight viciously. His eyes glowed in a suffocating white color.

The other Meta Knight's eyes flashed yellow and then drew his sword. This is where Kirby saw the difference.

The sword resembled Galaxia, but it had a silver handle and a chrome blade. Instead of a ruby, there was a sapphire on the hilt. There was something about it that sent the deepest chills down Kirby's body.

"Oh fuck." Kirby muttered.

The knight changed, his cape transformed to torn navy blue one. His boots turned to blood red, and his body and mask turned dark grey. A large scar slid down on the left side of the mask. Death pulsated from his body.

Meta Knight shifted into a defensive pose as he glared back at his opponent. "Ribbon, meet my reflection."

"Dark Meta Knight." Kirby snarled. "I thought I killed that bastard!"

Ribbon didn't respond. She was paralysed by the amount of energy that was flowing out of this "Dark Meta Knight". Just staring at him slowly drained her strength.

Meta Knight never twitched a muscle. "I suppose you helped create those pits."

Dark Meta Knight raised his sword and plunged it into the earth below. The flowers and grass around it whithered and dissolved to a swirl of purple and black. The swirl intensified and spread rapidly into a circle twice as large as the one Kirby had witnessed. Dark Meta Knight freed the sword from the ground and and held it up. Meta Knight let out a small gasp.

Everything went negative, and in slow motion. Kirby and the others began to fall back, but it was pointless. Meta Knight's eyes slowly widened as he began to charge up a sword beam. His counterpart casually walked in ,everyones eyes, normal speed. He hit Meta Knight with a series of strikes from the handle of his sword. To Kirby, Meta Knight didn't seem affected or even touched. Dark Meta Knight approached Ribbon and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. Even in slow motion, Kirby could see the fear escaping through her deep, blue eyes. He then advanced towards Kirby. Kirby tried to break free, but it was futile. The venomous yellow eyes stabbed at his soul as the knight's sword began to glow. He prepared to slash Kirby, but stopped abruptly and glanced around. He turned to Kirby with death laced in his eyes and teleported away.

As the color came back, Meta Knight was bludgeoned numerous times and flew sideways by an invisible force. The slow motion had worn off, but everything that Dark Meta Knight had done during the event was now in effect. Waddle and Adeleine fell backwards in surprise while Ribbon let out a scream and collapsed. Kirby rushed over to Ribbon while the others ran towards the battered knight.

"Ribbon?" spoke Kirby frantically.

Ribbon's face was pale and her eyes lost color.

"Shes...ugh...lost consciousness." Spoke Meta Knight as he stood with the help of the two. "I know that technique... isukumi."

Kirby was shocked. "Paralysing fear?"

Meta Knight nodded as he tried to sheath Galaxia. "It's a technique which...ugh... the user project's their chi through their eyes. It can be used to paralysis, or even kill whoever that views their eyes."

Meta Knight's body was bruised and in terrible condition. Several ribs were shattered and his right arm was broken. Every movement would be excruciatingly painful, but years of fighting made Meta Knight almost resilient to pain although it was apparent in his eyes that he couldn't stand it much longer.

Adeleine and Waddle helped him move toward Ribbon. Meta Knight studied her for a minute.

"Is she... hurt in anyway?" Asked Adeleine cautiously.

Meta Knight drew Galaxia with his good arm and laid the flat end on her chest. The sacred sword glowed and a golden film developed over Ribbon. It absorbed into her body as she closed her eyes and color returned to her faced. Her rosy cheeks flushed as she began to breath.

"She'll live." Answered Meta Knight calmly as he sheathed Galaxia. "But she's completely drained. We need to get to the castle at once."

Kirby carried Ribbon in his arms as the group hurried to get out of the woods. Night began to close upon them as the stretch of road never seemed to stop. Halfway, they stopped to rest. Meta Knight sat down with a painful grunt as the others sat around him. Kirby looked down upon Ribbon, expressionless eyes fixed to her face. All was quiet until Adeleine spoke up.

"Meta Knight, what happened back there?"

Meta Knight tried to sit up straight as much as possible. He closed his eyes for a moment of thought.

"That sword he wields is a mirror version of my sword, Galaxia." He spoke as he opened his eyes. "It possesses massive amounts of energy, I'd say even more then Galaxia itself."

He touched to hilt of the legendary blade and the ruby gleamed in response. "But that's only if Galaxia is not present. As long as it is in existence, the true power of Mirror Galaxia cannot be revealed."

Kirby stood up. "Then what was that slow motion event about? Couldn't Galaxia have stopped it from happening?"

"That was him accelerating his body to the speed of mach 5. Everything to him is in slow motion, but he can move at a normal pace. With the sword however, he can make others seem like their moving in slow motion at short distances." Meta Knight replied. "It had little to do with the sword though."

"Why did everything we see was in a negative filter?" Said Kirby.

"That was the sword reacting to his speed. Remember, the sword is literally a part of him, so it created the negative spectrum and the slow motion around him. It made it possible for us to see him." Meta Knight got himself up. "In reality or to any one outside of the proximity of the spectrum the whole attack was in seconds, probably less."

Everyone was speechless. "Seconds?" Waddle spoke dumbfounded. Meta Knight nodded.

"Hold on Meta Knight, what made him stop when he got to me?" Kirby piped up. "He sort of glanced around then disappeared."

Meta Knight limped towards Kirby. "It was Galaxia, Kirby." He placed a gloved hand on Kirby's shoulder. "It has accepted a part of you before and reacted when you were in danger."

Kirby thought of this. He remembered times he had wielded Galaxia, but only when there was critical danger. He used it against WolfWrath and Kirisakin ,and the source of the trouble in the Mirror World, Dark Mind.

"But why didn't it protect you? Your the master of that sword!" Growled Kirby with slight anger.

"Kirby, Galaxia has no master. It chooses who can wield it, and who can use it for what it was forged for, light. Light in which to repel darkness." Meta Knight's eyes glowed white. "Galaxia knows I can handle myself at that situation, but you where about to have a dimensional rift above you. You couldn't have escaped that."

"_Dimensional rift..."_ Kirby thought.

"What would have happened?" asked Waddle cautiously.

"Mirror Galaxia is able to a collapse the fabric of space in an area, causing the area to warp in and rip apart the matter around it. Kirby saw a very weak form of it, as it just ripped the flesh of the bone. If it were bigger, the effects would be catastrophic." Said Meta Knight.

Worry struck Kirby. He was dealing with an enemy that destroy the planet with a slash of his sword, and an enemy that's probably spreading over Dreamland as they speak. He clenched his fist, and picked up Ribbon once more.

"Everyone, lets get moving. We don't have time to waste." Announced Kirby as he prepared to run. Determination spread over his face.

"Hold on! I know a short cut to the castle." Shouted Waddle.

"Then you lead." Said Kirby.

Meta Knight stood up, using Galaxia as support. "I can walk now, lets go." He said.

They hurried off to another trail and towards the castle, as the crescent moon shattered the black of the night.

**Alright, so far the story has been about Kirby finding friends and investigating. The next chapters will start getting into some action! Please review!**

**Next up. **_**Chapter 5: A Galactic Takeoff**_


	5. A Galactic Takeoff

**Disclaimer: "How absurd... I am your Majesty's faithful servant!" - Meta Knight. I do not own Kirby and all that associates with Kirby.**

_**Chapter 5: A Galactic Takeoff.**_

The dark foliage of the woods burst open as the crew ran towards DeDeDe's castle. The huge structure towered over the town as armed Waddle Dee's were stationed all over. They crossed the bridge and entered the castle grounds, where Sword and Blade ran towards them.

"Sir Meta Knight!" Cried Sword. Meta Knight stopped him.

"I'm fine. Get Ribbon to the medical room at once."

Sword and Blade glanced at each other and nodded. They carried Ribbon into the castle as Kirby looked on, eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

"Kirby!" Called Meta Knight sternly. "Find Captain Waddle Doo. Tell him we must raise the bridge and have guards on all corners!"

Kirby quickly complied. He sprinted down the corridors of the first floor to find Escargon walking down with a large bump on his head, muttering to himself. Kirby skited to a stop and turned to Escargon.

"Escargon! What happened to you?" Asked Kirby. Escargon looked at Kirby with sore eyes.

"His Majesty's been furious lately over his car! A Waddle Dee was supposed to fix it, but when he rode it, the tires flew off and the car flipped!" He tenderly rubbed the bump over his head. "He took out his anger on me! Why do I have to deserve this? I am Escargon! I've been his loyal servant for..." Kirby stood there awkwardly as he continued to whine.

"Escargon, I need to know where Captain Waddle Doo is." Kirby semi-shouted over his cries.

Escargon slapped himself straight. "He should be down the hall, on the left."

"Thanks Escargon." Kirby resumed his sprint. He soon came across Captain Waddle Doo leading a group of Waddle Dees armed with spears.

Captain Waddle Doo was the commander of DeDeDe's forces. He is responsible for training, defending, and leading the Waddle Dees. His large, single eye searched the walls of the castle.

"Captain!" Shouted Kirby. The Captain halted the Waddle Dees and turned to Kirby.

"Hello Kirby. What brings you here?" Greeted the Captain with his squeaky voice.

"Order the troops to raise the bridge and have guards on all corners of this castle!" Kirby shouted urgently. "Meta Knight's orders!"

"Yes sir!" The Captain immediately ran outside and barked the orders. The Waddle Dees scurried to their posts and raised the bridge.

Kirby went to the court yard and saw Adeleine painting a picture of a glass of water. The painting suddenly popped out to life and she handed it gingerly to Meta Knight.

"Thank you." Meta Knight grasped the cup and covered himself in his cape before drinking.

"Kirby, do you want something? An apple? A cake?" Offered Adeleine with a smile.

Kirby shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

This surprised her. "But you're always hunger! Well at least that's how I knew you. I guess you've changed more than I thought..." She seemed a bit disappointed.

"Adeleine I'm sorry, it's just that... we have a bigger situation at hand and we have a lot to do. Thank you though." Apologized Kirby. He brushed a bit of hair off her face. This made her smile again and Kirby laugh. He hopped off the fountain and went towards Waddle, who was holding a switchblade.

"Where'd you get that?" Asked Kirby. Waddle jumped slightly in surprise.

"Uh, this? I've been getting into the 50's recently and I got myself a switchblade." Replied Waddle.

"That explains the cars and the leather jacket." Laughed Kirby.

"Hey, guys. Let's get going!" Said Adeleine. Meta Knight stepped down from the fountain to hear loud, angry shouts from the entrance to the castle hall.

"This is an outrage! I almost got crushed because of that damn car! I want to know who did it now!" DeDeDe looked absolutely furious. He was cornering a obviously nervous Captain Waddle Doo, sweat beading down his body.

"But sir..." Captain Waddle Dee led the Waddle Dees, but didn't recognize every individual one. In fact, it was almost impossible for anyone to accomplish that.

"No! I don't want any bullshit excuses! Get your ass back to the top floor and question every Waddle Dee there is in this damn castle!"

Meta Knight intervened. "Your Majesty, Captain Waddle Dee takes no responsibility in searching for one Waddle Dee among hundreds."

"Hey! I wasn't talking to- Jesus Meta Knight, what the hell happened to you?" Said DeDeDe, startled by his appearance.

Meta Knight glared, then breezed by him as the others ran behind him. "Hey! Is that...! Kirby! Stop there!" Shouted DeDeDe as he attempted to follow, ignoring the Captain.

They arrived at the medical room to find Sword and Blade pointing swords at them for a split second.

"Our apologies." Said Sword as he sheathed his sword. Kirby ran to Ribbon, still unconscious. A heart monitor had a steady beat, signifying that her pulse was normal. Meta Knight got in a bed and drew Galaxia. The same glow that had healed Ribbon, now encased Meta Knight. All damage that had been done to his body vanished. He turned to Blade, eyes shaded white.

"Hows Ribbon?" Blade glanced at a computer that was stationed next to Ribbon.

"Her bodily functions are normal, as well as her heartbeat. Once we takeoff, she should wake." Blade retrieved a stretcher. "We will get her on board when ever you want us to take off."

"We must prep immediately." Said Meta Knight as he sheathed Galaxia. His amber eyes gazed at Kirby.

"_Kirby, you have grown well over the years. You are no longer the pink ball that landed into Dreamland years ago."_ Thought Meta Knight. His eyes changed to blue, then he turned to Waddle.

"Waddle! I understand you have a proficiency in mechanics?" He asked.

"Yes sir, I do." Replied Waddle with pride. "I've fixed up more cars then you can count!"

"Then we need your assistance down at the Halberd. We have a few things to finish before taking off."

Waddle nodded as he followed the knights out the door. Before leaving, Meta Knight turned back to Kirby and Adeleine.

"I need you two to stay together in this room. Don't separate from each other in any circumstances, and don't even think about leaving Ribbon alone." Meta Knight spoke with dead seriousness.

Kirby felt Ribbon's cheek. It was warm with life, and smooth to the touch. _"Goddammit, just hold on there Ribbon."_ He thought with anger. _"Just hold on a little longer..."_

He hopped of the chair and noticed Adeleine painting a picture of a flower. It was a simple picture, with light colors and a cute sun at the top. Her small hand held the paint brush as she stroked with grace and swiftness. Kirby always thought Adeleine was attractive, but now she was quite stunning. He smiled as her emerald eyes squinted in concentration.

Then, he suddenly remembered about calling the other Kirbys. He pulled out his phone and called Red.

"Hello?" A semi deep voice answered.

"Hey Red! It's been awhile." Said Kirby, startling Adeleine.

"Kirb? Man, it's been a long time brother! What are you calling for?"

"Listen, there's something going on with Dreamland, and I need your help. I can't explain now, but I'm also getting the others too." Said Kirby.

"So the crews gonna be back together? Man, this is getting better by the minute!" Red sounded as if he had nothing to do for the past years.

"Alright, just get to DeDeDe's castle right now." Said Kirby. He closed the phone and dialed Yellow.

"-Yeah yeah, get the blue plate over to table 7. Hello?" A slight English accent tingled in his voice as Yellow answered. Busy noises and loud sizzling erupted in the background.

"Hey Yellow, how's it going?" Said Kirby.

"Kirby? Hell, it's been what, years? How are you?" Said Yellow with genuine friendliness in his voice.

"Listen, I hope this isn't a bad time. It sounds busy as hell in there." Said Kirby. Yellow was always serious when it came to food, or a problem.

"No, no it's fine! I had to get an order out of here! I'm done for tonight!" Shouted Yellow.

"Listen, I need you to get to Dreamland ASAP. Are you able to do that?" Kirby shouted back.

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can!" Yellow yelled back.

Kirby redialed the phone to call Green. Light guitar riffs played in the background as Green answered. "Hello?"

"Green? Hey it's Kirby." Said Kirby.

"Kirby? It's been awhile man! Why'd you call?"

"Listen, if you aren't busy, I need you to get to Dreamland now."

"Speak no more my pink brother." Kirby could almost feel his wide grin through the phone as he hung up.

Kirby sighed and sat down on a nearby chair. Adeleine put down her paintbrush and sat next to him.

"What was that all about?" Asked Adeleine. Kirby noticed the easel and pain gear had disappeared. Not a trace of paint was in the room.

"Wha... where did all of your stuff go?" Questioned Kirby. Adeleine looked puzzled, then she had an expression of "Oh."

"I have this backpack that can hold a ridiculous amount of things and stay the same size." Stated Adeleine. She took off a small backpack that Kirby didn't even notice and pulled out her folded easel that seemed much too big for the backpack. She stuck a corner of the easel in the pack and it seemed to morph into random shapes until it just dropped in. Then she gave a little bow. "Comes in handy." She said.

Kirby shook his head and laughed. He shouldn't be doing this. He glanced over to Ribbon, still unconscious and vulnerable. She had such a peaceful face, hiding the fact that she had gotten out a terrible ordeal. Looking at her gave a peculiar, warm sensation over his entire body.

"_Hope," _He thought. _"Hope never dies."_

Suddenly, multiple sounds of a Warp Star exploded outside the room. Adeleine jumped, as the sudden noise shook the ceiling.

"I'll get this." Said Kirby as he started for the door. But before he could touch the door knob, the door flew open and the 3 colored guests came in.

"Hey Kirb! Great to see you in person man!" Red shouted gleefully. Yellow pushed him aside.

"Kirby, let's get to the point. I know there's something big happening and I don't mean your birthday." Yellow was as serious as they come.

Kirby expression darkened. His dark blue eyes said volumes. Yellow took a step back and waited. Meanwhile, Green moved next to Adeleine and attempted to flirt.

"Ahem, uh ma'am. I'd just like to say well, you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever had my sights on." Said Green in a voice close to Elvis Presley. Adeleine giggled as Green wiggled his eyebrows. Red walked over to Ribbon as Kirby tried to explain the dilemma. Yellow nodded as he listened.

"So, these things are being contained while we try to find a way to purge it?" Said Yellow. "And it's not gonna stay in those tubes forever correct?" Kirby nodded.

Yellow grimaced. "This isn't gonna be a cake walk."

Kirby sighed in frustration. "That isn't the first time I've heard that."

Red walked up to Kirby and got his attention. "Hey Kirby, who's the girl in the bed?"

Kirby led them to the bed. "This is Ribbon. I met her a long time ago during the Crystal Shards incident."

"I've heard of that incident. A planet called Ripple Star was invaded?" Said Red. "By Dark Matter?"

Kirby nodded. "Ribbon was to get the Power Crystal out of Dark Matter's grasp, but they tailed her and shattered the crystal into pieces. She fell to Pop Star and that's how we met."

Adeleine got up from the bed across and started for the door. "Kirby, I'm going to go out for a minute. I need some fresh air alone." Green frowned to himself when she said "alone".

"Alright, just be careful and be back in a few minutes we can't risk it." Replied Kirby.

"And you two went out to find the pieces and found others to go along." Yellow looked over at Adeleine leaving the room. "I'm guessing she was one of them?"

Red picked up a clipboard that had a list of her injuries and read it. "She had symptoms of cardiac arrest. What the hell happened to her?"

"Remember Dark Meta Knight? Well, somehow he managed to revive himself and come to our world." Kirby looked at them with a dark expression. "He's back."

Red and Yellow looked as if someone had announced a death in the family out of the blue. Green stopped daydreaming and turned around, face shattered with disbelief. "What?"

Kirby didn't bat a single eyelid. "He's gotten ridiculously strong, and that sword can do a hell of a lot more now."

Yellow's face switched from shock to anger. "So what's the point of calling us here to tell us to fight a losing battle? I know you, Kirby. You've been saving Dreamland your whole life and most of the time it was just that, nothing else. This isn't about Dreamland, it's something else."

Kirby didn't answer. Yellow saw that he was holding on to her hand, eyes lowered. Yellow's anger faded and had a face of understanding.

"Well, I'd hate to end this lovely conversation, but we have a bloody ship to get on!" A voice disrupted the moment as the door flew open. Rick and Adeleine came running in, each holding small crate.

"Are those the items I requested?" Asked Kirby. Rick opened the crate and peeked inside it.

"Yep! Lemme tell ya, they were a bugger to find!" He grinned. Kirby smiled. Rick was someone you could never bring down. You can try anyway. Emotionally, physically, mentally, he would always come right back.

"Also, Knuckle Joe and Silica reported that all Dark Matter leaks have been sealed." He added. "They'll be joining us after we get outta Pop Star."

Rick turned to face the Kirbys. "Alright mates, let's get to it!"

Red, Yellow, and Green all nodded and headed towards the door. Rick handed the box to Kirby.

"Listen, I'll carry Ribbon to the ship if you don't mind. I know the way around the ship better then you and we've got to hurry" Rick's face was full of urgency as he spoke.

Kirby looked over at Ribbon. She seemed even more vulnerable as they prepared for the journey ahead.

"Alright carry her to a cabin. But make sure it's near where we're staying." Kirby said finally.

Rick hoisted Ribbon with his paws and quickly led the group to the Halberd stationed near the castle. Waddle, Sword, and Blade were waiting at the docking area. Suddenly, the Halberd's engines ignited and erupted with an extremely loud noise.

"We're prepared for takeoff!" Shouted Sword over the roar of the engines. Kirby and the others scrambled on to the ship as the loading door closed behind them.

"Kirby, head to the cockpit! I'll meet your there later!" Yelled Rick as he sprinted through the halls ahead of the group.

Sword and Blade led the group to the large cockpit where Meta Knight was silently gazing out the glass. From his eyes, he was in deep thought. Kirby stepped forward and spoke.

"Meta Knight, we're ready." Said Kirby blankly. Meta Knight didn't seem to hear a word.

"Has it really been 10 years Kirby?" Asked Meta Knight without turning.

"I said we're ready." Repeated Kirby.

Meat Knight turned eyes white with thought. "I never imagined it would take you ten years to get ready."

Kirby stared and said nothing as Meta Knight turned to grasp the steering wheel. "No, I thought it would take a lifetime."

A crunch of an apple broke the silence. Rick was nervously biting into an apple as Kirby walked towards him.

"Where's Ribbon?" Asked Kirby. Rick "pocketed" the apple and cleared his throat.

"She's safe. I put her in one of the quarters on the next floor." Said Rick. "We'll be staying in the rooms next to it."

Kirby turned to face the others waiting.

"Alright, let's get our things set up. I'll be in the room next to Ribbon. Each one of you picks a room next to mine." Announced Kirby.

The Adeleine got the room next to Kirby while Waddle got the one next to hers. Red, Yellow, and Green chose the rooms across from them. The rooms had everything you would expect in a hotel room. Velvet carpeting, desks, table, a bathroom, etc. Kirby walked around the room and set the box down in the table. He jumped on the bed and sighed. _"This is really getting to me."_ Thought Kirby as he closed his eyes. _"Yellow was right, I never had anything worth fighting for besides Dreamland."_

"Uh, Kirby." Rick had entered his room, holding a basket of fruit. "We're gonna head down to the dining area for dinner mate."

"I'll join you in a minute." Replied Kirby in a tired voice. Rick looked tired as well, as it looked like he was running around for days.

"After dinner, how 'bout a pint? The lounge is down the hall and to the left." Said Rick.

"Since when did the Halberd have a lounge?" Questioned Kirby. "Then again, why put these kinds of rooms inside a warship?"

Rick shrugged. "Dunno. Guess the limey bastard got a thing for hospitality. Anyways, gotta move."

Kirby couldn't imagine Meta Knight being hospitable, but he definitely isn't rude in anyway. He knew there was more than impassiveness under that mask; he just doesn't allow it to escape.

Kirby hopped of the bed and went in to Ribbon's room. She was still unconscious, but she looked much better than he had last seen her. He pulled up a chair next to her and put his hand on her cheek. He knew she would be ok, but what if the next time he spots her like this it wouldn't be unconsciousness? Kirby felt the warmth in her rosy cheeks rise slightly when he kissed her. He got off the chair and stepped outside.

"No," Kirby assure himself. "I won't let that happen."

He walked down towards the dining room slowly, until he picked up the smell of roast beef. Kirby broke into a sprint and hurried to the sweet source of the scent.

**Since school started, I'm not going to have as much time as I did before. But, I'll continue to write as much as possible, so stay tuned! Also, please review!**

**Up Next. **_**Chapter 6: A Flight Into Peril.**_


	6. A Flight Into Peril

**Disclaimer: I've been working on a couple other stories that don't relate to this story, but it's a bit experimental due some conflicts with the Kirby universe. :/ But I'll think of something. I do not own Kirby and al that associates with Kirby.**

_**Chapter 6: A Flight Into Peril.**_

Kirby and the others had just finished there dinner as morning began to rise over the horizon. Though Kirby had learned to control himself, he had indulged himself to whatever he could reach, or inhale. Fortunately, Yellow had mastered the cook ability and belted out food faster than Kirby could swallow. Everyone was satisfied and now engaged in conversations.

"Yellow, that was an excellent dinner you have prepared for us." Complimented Meta Knight. Yellow took of his cook hat.

"Nah it was nothing excellent mind you." Grinned Yellow. "You should see when I prepared a dish for this king that once…"

The conversation cuts to Adeleine, who was curious at how Kirby just inhaled about 10 three course dinners, plates and all.

"I thought you changed Kirby," She laughed. "But I guess not that much."

"When the situation calls for it, I'll never change." Kirby smirked. "Especially my appetite."

Adeleine took off her beret to reveal her short, dark hair. She shook her head, letting her hair wave around her face.

"I was thinking of growing my hair," Said Adeleine. "But I never got around it."

"I think it suits you." Smiled Kirby. "They really compliment your looks."

Adeleine took this with surprise. "Oh… I never thought of it like that. Thank you." Kirby could see that she was trying to hide the fact that her face was flushed red.

Rick hopped on the table and got everyone's attention. "Alright mates, the lounge is now open and the bar's stocked so if you want some amber fluid, come on over!"

Everyone followed Rick towards the lounge. The mechanical door slide open to reveal a large room with couches and large chairs. The lights were dim from the custom lamps as the left side of the room opened to reveal a large set of windows, exposing the morning sun and the ocean below. A bar complete with stools was against the wall on the right side. Kirby could see that Meta Knight had obviously put a lot work in the room.

Rick went behind the bar and picked up a cocktail shaker. He filled it with ice and lined various alcoholic drinks out on the counter. ""What'll it be?" He grinned.

Green hopped on a stool and leaned in. "Yeah uh, I'll have a screwdriver."

Rick quickly mixed vodka with orange juice in a highball glass and topped it with a mint leaf. He slid it over at Green with excellent precision.

Red snapped his "fingers" at Rick. "A gin fizz, pronto."

Rick mixed a creamy white drink with ice and handed it to Red. Yellow came up and ordered a margarita. A green, lime wedged drink was prepared in seconds. Kirby watched every movement with awe.

"Where did you learn to make drinks like that?" Asked Kirby.

"I had to do something with my life, so I bartended a while ago." Rick said with a smug expression. "You want a drink mate?"

"I'll have a cranberry club soda, squeeze a lime into it." Rick looked at him questionably.

"Do… you want anything else in it?" Asked Rick. "Bourbon? Vodka?"

Kirby shook his head. "I need to keep my head clear today."

Rick shrugged and poured seltzer into a glass and poured in the cranberry juice. Kirby watched as the red liquid slowly spread throughout the glass, turning it dark pink. Rick threw in a lime as a garnish before Kirby took the glass. The condensation that speckled outside the glass gave it a refreshing appearance. Adeleine walked over holding a glass of wine. Kirby saw that her cheeks were slightly blushed from the alcohol.

"I didn't know you drink." Said Kirby. Adeleine swiveled the wine around in her hands, letting the dark red liquid roll around the glass.

"I have wine occasionally, though I don't drink often." Smiled Adeleine. Kirby walked towards the window and slowly sipped his drink, observing the waters below. The sun made the water glimmer and the wind outside turn the calm sea into ripples, creating a pleasant sight.

"It's strange isn't it?" A voice spoke from behind him. Kirby turned to see Meta Knight step next to him. He watched the waters as well, though Kirby knew he was really pondering. Meta turned to face Kirby, eyes filled with an emotionless glow.

"I checked Ribbon's condition a few minutes ago." Spoke Meta Knight. "Her condition's improving; she'll be up by tomorrow morning." Kirby felt that this wasn't what Meta Knight was concerned about.

"Meta Knight what are you trying to say?" Asked Kirby. Meta Knights eyes glowed orange.

"How many lives have you saved Kirby? Was anyone of them worth anything to you?" Kirby was taken aback by this sudden question.

"Huh? Why-" Meta Knight put up a hand, silencing Kirby.

"Are some worth more than others to you? Why do you bother to save them?" Asked Meta Knight.

"Meta Knight a life is a life!" Shouted Kirby. "It's something so precious-"

Meta Knight cut him off. "That can be erased by a simple word uttered from one's mouth."

Kirby couldn't answer him. He saved hundreds, even planets worth of lives. None of them were worthless! Meta Knight glared at him with white eyes.

"What about the people I care about Meta Knight? I always consider them first goddammit! You, Ribbon, Waddle, Adeleine, Rick-"

"What about Fumu? The girl you left behind that helped build your life and survive?" Said Meta Knight, coldly cutting him off once more. Kirby stared at him with disbelief. Everyone in the room became quiet, as if in a trance. His words echoed around Kirby's head as his glass shattered in his hand.

Kirby didn't know why, but hearing her name blew a fuse in his brain. "If you even fucking mention her again I'll-"

"You're already starting to push her from your life Kirby, the very person who helped you become who you are now." Meta Knight stood where he was, unmoved from his anger. "So tell me Kirby, how far will you go to save someone who truly deserves to continue to have something as precious as life?"

That did it. The others gasped as Kirby grabbed a sword nearby and swallowed it, transforming to sword Kirby. He drew his blade, the tip dangerously close to Meta Knight's face.

"Are you saying Ribbon doesn't deserve to live?" Kirby snarled. "That's out of the goddamn question! Who the fuck do you think you are!" Meta Knight never made a move from his spot.

"And now you threaten me Kirby. Take a look at yourself." Meta Knight spoke calmly, as if Kirby had never made an outburst. "Doesn't it seem strange how easy it is to be manipulated?" Kirby dropped his sword, unsure of what to do.

"How far are you willing to go to save a life?" Asked Meta Knight. "Will it be beyond death?"

Kirby threw his hat off and ran towards his room. He could hear Red yelling after him. He shut his door and covered his face with his pillow. Red banged on the door, hoping to get his attention.

"Kirby please! You have to listen…" Kirby threw a book at the door, making a loud hollow sound.

"I don't need to hear any of your shit Red! Just leave me the fuck alone!" Yelled Kirby.

Red paused before speaking again. "Look, I know Meta Knight was harsh man, but he wasn't saying that you should leave any of us to die!"

"There's nothing that I didn't hear Red and that's not why I'm fucking mad!" Shouted Kirby. Red didn't respond again.

Kirby threw his pillow across the room and fell into his bed. "I fell into his words, like a fucking kid." He muttered to himself. "Just like that… I didn't even realize it." Kirby felt angry, toward Meta Knight, himself, and Dark Matter. Meta Knight's words still echoed in his head. _"So tell me Kirby, how far will you go to save someone who truly deserves to continue to have something as precious as life?"_

Kirby tried to clear his head and go to sleep, but the thought of Fumu kept him awake, her bright green eyes staring at him before leaving him that night after Ribbon's collapse. That blank face hid a look of pain. Kirby shook his head. "No, I made the choice. I went with Ribbon and that's not going to change."

Kirby recalled the time when treated him back after the battle with Nightmare. He shuddered at the memory. Kirby needed rehabilitation after facing him due to psychological damage he had suffered through his dreams. Fumu stayed at his side the entire time, helping him walk and cope with his emotions. At the hospital, she had made him comfortable as possible.

"_You're gonna be ok." She took a wet cloth and wiped his forehead, smiling as she did it. "Just hang on." _

_Kirby grabbed her hand as she was about to pull back, which caused her to let out a small gasp. He held her hand while staring at her with exhausted eyes. She had a mix between surprise and worry in her eyes. Then she snapped her hand back._

"_Fumu…" Kirby said quietly. Fumu turned red with embarrassment. _

"_Err… Kirby, you should get some sleep." She insisted while starting to get up. "You look terribly tired…"_

"_Fumu." Kirby repeated. She stopped and sat back down with caution. _

"_Yeah Kirby?" She whispered. Her green eyes were full of concern._

"_Do you…" Kirby paused, adding the tension. Fumu leaned in, signaling him to go on._

"…_Love me?" Fumu looked surprised and lean back slightly. _

"_Well of course I do. I always loved-" _

"_As a friend?" Kirby answered. She stopped awkwardly. "Or as someone more?" His eyes were full of hope, waiting to hear the answer. _

_Fumu backed off slightly. "Kirby I… I always loved you as a friend. Is there anything more meaning then that?"_

_This wiped Kirby's face of all emotions. He felt hollow, like a can of soda that's been drained and tossed to the ground. He turned away and looked up at the ceiling. _

_Fumu realized what Kirby had meant and touched him. "Kirby? Listen, I didn't mean…" _

_But Kirby couldn't hear her, or anything else for that matter. He let a single tear roll down the side of his face as he closed his eyes…_

That moment was ever so crystal clear in his mind, even more so now that Meta Knight had mentioned her. Kirby had stopped needing her help from that day on, and lived an almost solitary life. After his full recovery, Kirby started heading into the woods more often to meet his animal friends or to train. He quietly began building up his strength with a help from Meta Knight and Rick. After years of events and hardening Kirby had finally transformed to what he is now, a true Star Warrior. But there was something much deeper than that. There was a fire. A fire that consumed everything in its path. Its blaze licked the fuel ahead, enlarging its appetite.

Then it hit him. It wasn't about Dreamland. It wasn't about his friends. Hell, it wasn't even Ribbon. Kirby was never satisfied of what he had done. He always needed something done. His mind was never at rest, always alert to the sign of corruption. Peace wasn't enough for him. He wanted more.

Kirby picked up his pillow and pulled a blanket over him. He could still hear Meta Knight's chilling voice in his head as he drifted to the dark comforts of sleep.

Kirby awoke when the sun had almost set, its orange bloom closing into the horizon's dark bud. Kirby was fully rested, but had a feeling of grogginess like no other. He checked the time on the wall as he headed for the door.

"_Not too late."_ Thought Kirby. _"I could use a drink."_

As he headed down to the lounge, the lights automatically dimmed as he stepped into the room creating a soft glow around the room. He walked over behind the bar counter and picked up a martini glass. As he took out the ingredients, he heard foots steps coming from the way he had entered. He turned to see Adeleine enter the room.

"Kirby! You're out!" Smiled Adeleine. Her hair looked glossy and she was in light green sleeping gown that exposed her well-shaped legs.

"Yeah, I needed a drink." He pulled out another glass. "I'm guessing that you came for the same?"

Adeleine sat on one of the stools across from him. She leaned in with her head rested on her left arm. "I want something… bubbly." She winked.

Kirby pondered for a minute, then took out a bottle of sparkling wine. He mixed the honey colored liquid with peach puree in a flute glass and set it on the counter. Adeleine observed it, admiring its look and color.

"Peach Bellini? You've got class Kirby." Adeleine laughed. He shrugged as he mixed his own drink, a Pink Lady. He sipped the cold cocktail as he remembered he hadn't checked on Ribbon today. He finished the drink and prepared a second round.

"God, I need to think straight." He muttered. He mixed another Peach Bellini when he saw that Adeleine had finished hers.

Red entered the cockpit were Meta Knight stood, staring into the night. The ship was on auto pilot so there was no need for steering. Red approached Meta Knight with a serious look and attempted to get his attention.

"What brings you Red?" spoke Meta Knight without turning. Red stopped a foot away from him and crossed his arms.

"What was that all about? With Kirby?" Demanded Red. "Answer me!"

Meta Knight was silent. Red huffed and tried again.

"Why did you say that shit to Kirby?" Growled Red. Meta Knight turned to face him, his eyes almost lifeless.

"To prevent Kirby from making the same mistake I had once committed." He stated in a blank tone.

Red took a step back and lowered his anger. "What mistake?" Asked Red.

Meta Knight inhaled deeply before speaking. "It was many years ago, when the Galaxy Army was still strong. It was an assignment like any other, nothing difficult and nothing easy."

He walked to the side window and continued. "It was solo mission to retrieve a POW, a young soldier that knew almost nothing on the battlefield. She just charged out into the field, ignoring her commanding officers. She ended up being captured in sent to a prison camp."

"How does this have anything to do with what you said?" Questioned Red, but he continued to listen.

"It was a large building with few guards patrolling the area. There wasn't a trace of heavier defenses in the area for such a large structure. I was suspicious about this, yet I approached the facility. When I found her, she was in the arms of a crab-like demon beast. It threatened to kill her, so naturally I ceased to attack, but held my position. I noticed behind the beast was a system of prison cells that was designed to hold five prisoners each. There must have been dozens of cells cramped with ten or more prisoners each. I saw that they were all rigged to explode if I attempted to get past the guard. I was in the verge of panic, due to the enemy reinforcements that began to arrive and the girl screaming for help. This was before I mastered Galaxia, so her true powers were locked deeply inside her."

Meta Knight paused momentarily before continuing.

"She never learned to cope herself at the hands of an enemy, so she was struggling the entire time. I saw more beasts of all shapes and sizes filing in behind the crab, almost taunting me to strike. I couldn't do anything, I was out numbered and there were more POWs then I imagined. It must have sensed this, because he grasped her head and ripped it along with her spinal cord. The blood spurted in torrents while the spine twitched in shock. And her face…"

Red saw that Meta Knight had difficulty remembering these horrific events. He reached out to him but Meta Knight turned to face Red, eyes glowing crimson.

"I charged at the beast without thinking, completely forgetting that the cells were rigged. The crab laughed as I cut him to pieces. It was satisfying, the sound of his exostructure cracking as his entrails began to burst. His fluids flooded the room as the others turned and ran. I gave chase to slay those cowards that felt so mighty seconds ago. That was my second mistake. The entire complex exploded, knocking me outside the building as the debris began to rain upon me. All I saw was dust and flames as I stood up despite my injuries. The pain was pitiful compared to what I have caused. I searched the entire perimeter only to find the charred remains of what were once soldiers and villagers among the area. There was a child, burned to the color red still alive. When I attempted to carry the child, his skin slipped off, causing me to drop him. He cried in agony and died shortly after the drop. I couldn't do anything about it. His grotesque body resembled nothing close to what one would view as child. None were left alive besides this mess of flesh that once was something that blinked and breathed. Their lives extinguished, at the cost of MY INSOLENCE. I could have saved them; I could have done it without even drawing my sword, but no. MY ANGER HAD SUFFOCATED MY THOUGHTS; IT FED ON THOSE TAUNTING EXPRESSIONS AND THEIR COWARDENCE. I FELL INTO THEIR TRAP, RESULTING IN INNOCENT LIVES BEING TAKEN. THEIR BLOOD. IN MY HANDS!"

Meta Knight realized he had raised his voice to a scream, as Red went pale with fright. Meta Knight fell backwards and leaned on the steering wheel. He was beaded with sweat, panting loudly as he tried to catch his breath. When his panting lessened, the room became dead quiet. The only noise was a barely noticeable hum of the ship, everything else seemed to stop in motion. Red began to sweat and shake due to the tension and continued to stare at the Knight with wide eyes. Meta Knight opened his eyes and bore them into Reds.

"To this day that event rolls in my soul. The blood had not been cleansed, and it never will. I still ponder about that girl, why I was enraged at her death. I couldn't let her die, but I killed hundreds because of my actions. What does life mean to you? Would you take it for granted? Would you exchange a life for a life? One for hundreds or hundreds for one?"

He stood up and walked towards the exit of the cockpit. Red continued to stare at the spot he had just moved from, chalk white. Before stepping out, he said one last thing.

"I cannot let the same happen to Kirby."

They drank in silence until each had consumed five glasses. Kirby had stayed completely sober while Adeleine appeared drowsy. But Kirby could tell she wasn't drunk, just slightly tipsy. Her usually emerald green eyes had turned cloudy as she gazed at him, cheeks blushed.

Kirby got up and took her hand. "I think we had enough." He led her to the couch and sat next to her. "You should get some sleep. You never know when we might-"

Out of the blue, Adeleine grabbed Kirby and gave him a long kiss. Kirby eyes flew open as he began to pull back but she simply advanced, prolonging the kiss. When they parted, Kirby was astonished. Adeleine was pink all over, for she was surprised as well for her sudden action.

"I… I'm sorry Kirby I…" Adeleine stuttered. Kirby shook his head and looked down, bewildered at what just happened.

"I know how you feel about me Adeleine, it's alright." Said Kirby looking back up. She looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"But you know that I'm with Ribbon, and that's not going to change." Added Kirby. He lifted her head up slowly by her chin and brushed her hair away from her face. She still had that look of longing on her face. A lonely expression that wanted someone close by. Kirby looked into her eyes and gave her a smile.

"But that doesn't mean we can't be close." Said Kirby. She leaned in again and this time and as much as he hated to admit it, Kirby returned the kiss. Their tongues explored each other's mouths, as emotions fueled up inside them. They parted slowly, eyes connected till the end. Adeleine had a dreamy look on her face as she sighed and closed her eyes. Kirby laughed silently to himself and began to get up, but was pulled back onto the couch. Adeleine laid herself on top of him, and stared at him with cautious, but hungry eyes. At once, Kirby knew what she was about to do.

"Adeleine wait…" Said Kirby. Her cheeks blushed harder as she began to slip off her sleeping gown, her smooth legs ran along his sides. He was about to object and push her off, but a sudden drowsiness came upon him.

"_Oh christ, not now."_ He thought as he frantically tried to fight the grogginess out of him. The darkness slowly spread over his eyes as he began to black out.

"_This isn't supposed to happen…" _Was the last thing he managed to squeeze through his thoughts.

Kirby slowly opened his eyes as a beam of light shot through the crack of his eyelids. He winced as he focused at his surroundings. Adeleine was lying next to him, her nude body pressed against him. He groaned as he remembered the night. Sometimes Kirby blacks out when he gets aroused and then his body takes over. He wasn't exactly awake, but he could see and feel every action that took place that night. But this rarely happens and this time it occurred in the least desirable time. He slipped out of the large couch as Adeleine woke up at his movement. She sat up and covered herself with a blanket that was nearby.

"Kirby, that was… you were so energetic...!" Adeleine blushed as she thought of the night as Kirby dreaded it. Thoughts of Ribbon sprung into his mind as he began to grow worried if she ever found out. He sat back down on the couch as Adeleine came in closer leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Ugh…. what the hell was I thinking?" Muttered Kirby. He felt the soft wool of the blanket touch him as he closed his eyes in thought.

Suddenly his eyes flew open in confusion. There weren't any blankets on the couch or any in the room to be precise. A shadow cast over the two as Adeleine gasped and covered herself. Meta Knight stood over them, staring at the two. His mask gleamed in the sun as his amber eyes began to glow.

"It seems Adeleine couldn't hold her emotions back. To my eyes you received it quite well Kirby." Said Meta Knight. "But I have nothing to say about this. I'll admit I have done similar myself towards my… solitary state."

Kirby didn't respond, frozen. Meta Knight went towards the cockpit, but turned to face Kirby once more.

"Fumu was a very… persuasive girl." Meta Knight sighed as his eyes glowed… pink. Kirby and Adeleine stared in shock as they heard him _laugh_ as he walked out the door.

Kirby could have been angry or embarrassed to have been discovered in such a vulnerable state, but actually felt relieved by hearing Meta Knight. He relaxed his anxieties, though he couldn't understand why. He hopped of the bed and headed towards the bar to clean to glasses.

"Adeleine you should go take a shower, it's probably the best idea." Kirby insisted. She nodded and quickly headed towards her room. Kirby ran towards Ribbons room where Waddle sat nearby. His jacket was on his lap and he was asleep. Kirby noticed there were syringes on the table next to her bed, used. Thinking something was wrong he shook Waddle, awakening him.

"Huh- Wha?" Waddle snapped awake as Kirby finished shaking him. "Hey! What the hell-"

"What are these syringes doing here? There not even labeled, what did these contain?" Kirby questioned. Waddle pushed Kirby back in annoyance then walked over to Ribbon.

"If you don't remember, she suffered from cardiac arrest. Sword told me to give her this special drug every hour or so to keep her heart steady." Kirby was taken aback. Why didn't anyone bother to inform him about this?

"Why didn't Sword tell me about this?" Kirby asked.

"She said he you were busy and I didn't bother looking for you cause it was damn late when he woke me." Said Waddle. Kirby stood still momentarily. Did Sword know about last night? He shook himself and walked over to Ribbon, her eyes still closed. He lightly stroked her face, which twitched slightly in response. Kirby smiled to himself, knowing she would wake soon.

"Waddle, I wanna thank you. I wasn't even near the one I love, especially when she's in a state like this." Kirby muttered. Without a word, Waddle came over and placed a warm hand on his shoulder, assuring him that it was fine. He left the room silently, though Kirby could see a small smile as he turned. A small groan entered his ears as he spun around to witness Ribbon opening her eyes, like a rose blossoms in the birth of spring. Kirby embraced Ribbon, the one he had longed to hold. He held her for some time until she got up to stretch. Her lace like wings spread out to catch the sun's rays, giving them enough warmth to let her hover. She flew slowly around the room, gliding almost as if he was dancing. Kirby admired her graceful movements as she settled next to him. She hugged him from the side as he put his arm around her.

"Kirby, how long was I out?" Ribbon asked. Kirby saw the worry glimmer in her eyes as he pulled her in closer.

"Around two days." Ribbon's eyes grew wide. Kirby got up and nudged her. "You must be starving, let's get something to eat!"

"Actually, I feel fine." She covered her mouth with her hands and sighed. "Two days…"

Kirby held her hand and sat down on the bed. "Ribbon, you don't need to worry. You're here now, and I'm not going to let that change."

The couple kissed, rolling around the bed as they exchanged their passion for each other. It felt almost dreamlike as if they were on a caressing each other on a cloud, not giving the slightest care if they fell. They parted with a breath of excitement, almost exasperated from the kiss.

"Oh Kirby," She panted. "There's nobody like you in this world…"

Before Kirby could answer, a voice screeched through the speakers above.

"_**Attention all personnel! Assemble at the cockpit immediately!"**_

Kirby and Ribbon raced to the cockpit where everyone had assembled. Rick ran in behind the two as they arrived.

"Oi! Missy, you're ok!" Rick said with a grin. She gave him a nod then they directed there attention towards Meta Knight. Sword and Blade stood at his side as he turned, looking quite tired.

"I'm have gathered you all here to inform you that we are closing in on our first stop, Rock Star." Through the cockpit, the group could see the large planet that from a distance appeared to be made entirely out of rock. Kirby remembered this planet well, as it was the first planet after Pop Star he had ventured to in search of the shards.

Meta Knight turned to Adeleine. "Make sure you have all the paint you can carry I'm sure you remember the terrain well?" Adeleine nodded. Her hair was still wet from the shower, implying that she got out of there in a hurry.

"Before we get to Ripple Star, we must collect something that was lost during an accident on a Fountain of Dreams nearby. A Star Rod had dislodged itself and is now somewhere in Rock Star." Meta Knight announced. Ribbon's mind raced. What does the star rod prevent? Perhaps her dream…

"Meat Knight, I had a dream before we left. I think I was being attacked by… something." Meta Knight quickly shot a look of curiosity at her. "I know it had to do something with Dark Matter. Someone spoke to me, but…"

Meta Knight focused his eyes at her, halting her speech. "Why didn't you tell us this earlier? Someone has infiltrated your thoughts!" Ribbon looked uneasy, almost guilty.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"Someone could be tracking us as we speak! Then the incident on the Fountain was no acci-"

A loud siren erupted from the speakers, startling all in the room. Meta Knight turned to the Kirbys, who were at attention.

"Prepare your warp stars, same with you Kirby. We've got company!" Meta Knight shouted.

"2 bogies on the port and another pair at starboard sir!" Blade yelled. Meta Knight took manual control over the ship, going full throttle.

"You all know what you do!" Meta Knight shouted over the alarm.

"Sword! Blade! Do not engage the enemy! We can risk hitting the warp stars!"

The Kirbys all took out their cellphones and signaled their rides. Before taking off, Kirby gave a quick kiss to Ribbon, who hung on to him.

"Ribbon, I'll be fine. Remember what I said." Kirby whispered with a smile. Ribbon looked on with concern as Kirby tore off to join in formation with the others to engage the enemy ahead.

"Yellow to Kirby, those look like air ride machines and fast ones too." Yellow buzzed. Purple star like bolts flew by Kirby as he swerved to avoid them. When he regained control, several others flew at them. The warp stars scattered, marking that start of a galactic dogfight.

"Out of formation! Take evasive action!" Kirby barked.

**Sorry it took so long, school's been getting in the way. Ugh, school. Just ugh, but I'll work on my stories whenever I have the time! Remember to review!**

**Next up. **_**Chapter 2: Blood And Sand.**_


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